44 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  11,  1901. 
Fruit  Forcing. 
i 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. — Early  Houses. — The  trees  having  been 
cleared  of  the  fruit,  cut  away  the  wood  on  which  it  has  been  produoed 
to  the  successional  shoot  at  the  base,  and  stop  growths  making  more 
than  12  to  15  inches  of  growth  required  for  bearing  next  year,  always 
excepting  extensions,  which  may  be  allowed  to  grow  where  there  is 
room.  Pinch  the  laterals  at  the  first  leaf  and  to  subsequent  as  made, 
thinning  where  crowded.  Maintain  a  proper  condition  of  moisture  on 
the  outside  as  well  as  inside  borders. 
Succession  Houses. — Where  the  fruit  is  ripening,  syringing  over  the 
foliage  must  cease,  air  being  given  day  and  night  so  as  to  prevent 
moisture  being  condensed  on  the  fruit,  and  thus  inducing  “  spot  ”  to 
affect  and  spoil  the  finest  specimens.  Moderate  air  moisture,  however, 
should  be  secured  by  damping  the  paths  and  borders  in  the  morning 
and  afternoon,  not  negleoting  to  afford  due  supplies  of  water  at  the 
roots,  with  light  mulchings,  especially  on  light  soils. 
here  the  fruit  is  swelling,  syringe  morning  and  afternoon,  not 
allowing  red  spider  to  get  the  least  footing,  or  it  will  increase,  to  the 
prejudice  of  the  current  and  succeeding  crop.  Expose  the  fruit  to  the 
light  by  drawing  the  leaves  aside,  shortening  them,  or  raising  on  laths, 
with  the  apex  to  the  sun.  Keep  the  growths  fairly  thin  and  tied  down, 
not  too  tightly,  as  they  advance,  stopping  next  year’s  bearing  shoots  at 
about  14  inches,  if  they  exceed  that  length,  and  pinching  the  laterals  to 
one  leaf  as  made.  Extensions  may  be  trained  in  full  length  as  space 
permits,  but  avoid  crowding,  and  maintain,  as  far  as  possible,  an  even 
growth  throughout  the  tree.  Afford  liquid  manure,  or  top-dressings  of 
fertilisers,  after  making  the  border  moist,  and  wash  in  moderately  to 
weakly  trees,  not  negleoting  the  watering.  A  little  air  constantly  will 
do  much  to  prevent  scorching,  and  the  enlarging  of  the  openings  in  the 
morning  early  will  secure  a  long  day’s  work  of  elaboration,  always 
provided  the  temperature  be  not  lowered,  but  advances  with  the  sun 
heat. 
Late  Houses.  It  is  only  possible  to  have  fruit  very  late  by  keeping 
the  house  as  cool  as  possible  during  the  hot  summer  months,  ventilating 
day  and  night,  but  not  in  windy  weather,  this  causing  the  current  to 
rush  through  the  structure  and  dry  the  atmosphere  excessively. 
Nothing  is  gained  by  that,  but  often  a  rich  harvest  of  battered  leaves 
and  a  plentiful  crop  of  red  spider.  This  pest  must  be  laid  low  by 
forcibly  syringing  in  the  morning  and  late  afternoon,  the  trees  also 
having  plenty  of  water  and  nourishment  at  the  roots,  with  mulchings 
of  partially  decayed  manure  in  a  lumpy  state,  and  trees  kept  moist 
will  keep  the  roots  near  the  surface.  Avoid,  however,  heavy  mulching, 
about  an  inch  thickness  sufficing,  adding  to  it  from  time  to  time.  Do 
not  allow  too  many  fruits  to  remain  for  the  crop,  but  thin  them  betimes, 
leaving  about  a  fruit  to  each  square  foot  of  trellis  covered  by  the  trees. 
— St.  Albans. 
Phenological  Observations. 
July  12th  to  18th. 
12  Fri.  Magpie  moth  seen. 
13  Sat.  Brambles  all  in  blossom. 
14  Sun.  Drinker  moth  seen. 
15  Mon.  St.  Swithin’s  Day. 
16  Tu.  Blackbird’s  song  ceases. 
17  Wed.  Burnished-brass  moth  6een. 
18  Thr.  Whitethroat’s  song  ceases. 
Plants  dedicated  to  each  day. 
Great  Snapdragon. 
Blue  Lupine. 
Everlasting  Lupine. 
Small  Cape  Marigold. 
Large  garden  Convolvulus. 
Sweet  Pea. 
Autumn  Marigold. 
Next  Week’s  Events. 
We  request  our  readers'  co-operation  in  furnishing  as  many  useful  notices 
as  possible. 
Friday,  July  12th. — Brentwood  Exhibition. 
Saturday,  July  13th.— Manchester  Rose  Exhibition. 
Tuesday,  July  16th. — Royal  Horticultural  Society  Exhibition  and 
Conference  on  Lilies  at  Chiswick  (two  days);  Kidderminster 
Exhibition. 
Wednesday,  July  17th. — N.R.S.,  Ulverston  (North  Lonsdale  Ros 
Show);  Ancient  Society  of  York  Florists’  Summer  Show  Cardii 
and  County  Horticultural  Show  (two  days) ;  Reigate  (Redhill 
Robo  Show  ;  Ore  (Sussex)  Flower  Show, 
Thursday,  July  18th.— Hoddesdon  Exhibition ;  Royal  Botanical  Sooiety 
meeting ;  Halifax  Exhibition  ;  Prescot  and  District  Horticultural 
Show. 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
Geo.  BuDyard  &  Co.,  The  Royal  Nurseries,  Maidstone. — Descriptive  List 
of  Straivberries,  Summer  Fruits,  Grapes,  Figs,  Dutch  Bulbs,  and 
Carnations. 
Potash  Syndicate,  110,  Strand. — Potash  Salts,  their  production  and  use. 
#%  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  np  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
Tomatoes  Diseased  ( Perplexed ). — They  are  affected  with  sleeping 
disease  fungus.  See  article  on  page  5,  July  4th  (last  week’s  issue). 
Diseased  Tomatoes  (ff.  B.,  Chester). — Your  plants  are  affected  by  the 
sleeping  disease  fungus.  You  will  find  a  full  description  of  the  fungus, 
its  growth  and  characteristics,  together  with  remedial  or,  rather,  pre¬ 
ventive  measures  on  page  5,  of  last  week’s  issue. 
Calla  Elliottiana  (W.  R.  R.). — Seedlings  of  this  plant  are  very 
variable,  and  no  doubt,  though  the  leaves  are  green  as  yet,  the  better 
matured  ones  will  assume  the  speckled  appearance.  Seedlings  take 
two  years  or  three  to  reach  flowering  size.  The  question  is,  Would  you 
not  have  been  better  to  buy  a  plant  to  begin  with  ?  The  first  leaves 
are  generally  green. 
Diseased  Tomato  Plants  (X.  Z.). — Your  plants  were  examined  and 
reported  on  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  July  4th,  page  5,  your  letter 
having  gone  astray.  With  this  before  us  we  consider  the  partial 
changing  of  the  soil  every  year  would  leave  some  of  the  resting  spores 
of  the  sleeping  disease  fungus  in  the  old  soil,  and  thus  the  disease  pass 
over  the  winter  to  infect  the  following  season’s  plants.  It  is  noteworthy 
that  the  plants  in  pots  have  escaped  the  disease  to  a  great  extent,  and 
one  of  the  largest  growers  of  Tomatoes  in  the  Lea  valley  grows  his 
Tomato  plants  in  pots,  and  thus  insures  the  greatest  immunity  from  the 
“  sleeping  ”  disease.  This  course  we  advise  in  your  case,  or  if  you  still 
pursue  the  planting  out  system,  take  the  preventive  measures  suggested 
on  page  5  and  further  referred  to  in  to-day’s  issue  in  reply  to  “  Per¬ 
plexed.” 
Diseased  Twig  of  Peach  Tree  (Ignorant). — The  leaves  swarm  with 
what  is  called  red  spider,  but  which  is  not  a  spider,  but  a  mite, 
Tetranyohus  telarius,  one  of  the  most  pernicious  pests  affecting  Peach 
trees,  it  sucking  out  the  juices  and  causing  the  premature  falling  of  the 
foliage,  greatly  weakening  the  tree  and  prejudicing  the  succeeding 
season’s  growth  and  crop.  It  should  be  destroyed  by  syringing  with 
paraffin  emnlsion,  £  lb.  to  4  gallons  of  soft  water,  adding  1  oz. 
sulphide  of  potassium  or  liver  of  sulphur  to  4  gallons  of  the  forenamed 
wash.  It  is  advisable  to  dissolve  the  paraffin  emulsion,  oommonly 
called  petroleum  softsoap,  in  a  gallon  of  hot  water,  and  the  sulphide  in 
a  quart  of  hot  water,  adding  together,  and  then  making  up  to  4  gallons 
with  hot  water,  and  using  when  oool  enough  (90°  to  100°).  The  general 
treatment  of  Peaches  is  given  in  our  ‘‘Work  for  the  Week”  column 
under  “Fruit  Forcing”  from  time  to  time.  The  dying  off  of  the 
branches  is  probably  due  to  gutnmosis,  stout  branches  being  most 
frequently  attacked  ;  the  disease  is  indicated  by  the  appearance  of 
tear-like  drops  of  almost  oolotirless  gum  oozing  from  the  branches. 
Diseased  brauches  should  be  removed  to  sound  parts  below  the  point  of 
infection.  Lifting  the  trees  is  the  best  means  to  promote  a  healthier 
condition. 
Market  Growers’  Treatment  of  Vines  (R.  C.). — GrapeVines  forced 
hard,  so  as  to  have  the  fruit  ripe  or  ripening  in  April  or  early  in  May, 
are  liable  to  fail  after  two  or  three  seasons’  foroing,  and  as  a  matter  of 
fact  it  pays  well  to  take  one  heavy  crop  only,  and  then  destroy  the 
Vines,  following  these  closely  with  Tomatoes,  Melons,  or  Cucumbers. 
If  they  are  kept  two  or  three  seasons  the  laterals  should  not  be  severely 
shortened  at  pruning  time,  the  long  rod  system — that  is  to  say,  laying 
in  new  rods  each  season,  to  take  the  place  of  the  old  ones  cut  out 
directly  the  bunohes  are  removed — answering  well.  As  these  Vines  are 
usually  fruited  in  small  span-roofed  houses,  clearing  out  old  borders 
and  forming  new  ones  is  not  a  great  undertaking.  Grape  Vines  can  be, 
and  frequently  are,  struck  and  grown  to  a  fruiting  size  in  one  season, 
these  being  capable  of  carrying  eight  to  twelve  bunches  each  ;  but  the 
older  plan  of  starting  with  small  Vines  raised  a  year  earlier,  and 
commonly  known  as  “cut  backs,”  is  the  most  reliable  and  the  best. 
Cat  back  in  December,  planted  in  February,  and  given  good  attention, 
they  develop  rapidly,  the  canes  being  long,  strong,  and  early  maturing. 
The  best  varieties  for  early  forcing  are  Black  Hamburgh,  Madresfield 
Court,  and  Muscat  of  Alexandria  ;  Foster’s  Seedling,  though  a  good 
companion  for  Black  Hamburgh  in  private  gardens,  not  finding  favour 
in  the  markets.  Midseasou  and  late  Grapes  are  most  extensively 
grown ;  Gros  Colman  among  the  latter  being  the  most  popular,  Alicante 
aDo  paying  well  in  some  instances.  Not  being  “  pushed  ”  very  hard, 
nor  very  badly  overcropped,  there  is  no  fixed  limit  to  the  years  the 
Vines  remain  profitable ;  it  is  all  a  matter  of  treatment. 
